What won the race: Polesitter and race-long leader Chris Simpson of Oxford, Iowa, held off a hard-charging Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa to win the caution-free MLRA event at Davenport Speedway. Simpson earned $3,000 for his fifth career series victory in the centerpiece of a tripleheader MLRA weekend.

Quotable: "I really thought somebody would roll me on the outside, and obviously Gustin was coming, but man, I was wasting a lot of time down there hitting those holes," said Simpson, who hugged the infield most of the race. "We had a good car ... even after the checkers I went up there and ran the middle where Ryan was, and it was definitely better. You could keep your momentum up. But I'd went up there to lap a car earlier and didn't feel that good, so I said I better get to my home back down here on the bottom."

Key notes: Simpson also won 2014's MLRA stop at Davenport. ... Simpson, shaking off after-effects of the flu, stuck with the low groove despite some rough spots on the quarter-mile layout. ... Runner-up Ryan Gustin gave it a shot on the high side on the final lap, but fell a few lengths short. ... Brandon Sheppard won his first MLRA race Thursday at Lee County Speedway. ... Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo., hosts Saturday's action.

On the move: Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, started 18th and finished 11th.

Winner's sponsors: Simpson's Longhorn Chassis is sponsored by Five Star Shop and Service, Cheap Cars, Advanced Machine and Tool, Chase Decals, Simpson Farms, Eibach Springs, and Bill Bryant Trucking.

Points chase: Jason Papich entered the tripleheader weekend leading MLRA's point standings.

Car count: 33

Polesitter: Chris Simpson

Heat race winners: Chris Simpson, Dave Eckrich, Terry Phillips, Chad Simpson

Consolation race winners: J.C. Wyman

Provisional starters: Tad Pospisil, Bryon Allison

Next series race: May 7, Scotland County Speedway (Memphis, MO) $3,000